As I put my purchase onto the checkout counter at the sporting goods store, the clerk looked me in the eye and said bluntly, “Why did you take Hunter Pence from us?”
In a split second, I realized that this young man was a Phillies fan and had noticed my San Francisco Giants cap.
“I wasn’t involved,” I replied. “But what I can’t understand is why the Phillies let him go.”
Such exchanges with strangers aren’t unique here in the greater Philadelphia area, where fans are gonzo for their teams. And I like that.
Today’s episode — in the middle of the off-season, mind you — was at the Dick’s store in Princeton, N.J., nearly an hour’s drive to Citizens Bank Park. The exchange was similar to one I had with an Acme grocery store clerk shortly after I moved into our new home two summers back. I was wearing a Tim Lincecum T-shirt. The clerk at the register eyed it and said, “Why aren’t you a Phillies fan?”
“Hey, I just moved here from California,” I said. “I’m a Giants fan but I like the Phillies.”
The clerk’s reply?
“Lincecum sucks.”
The Ball Caps Blog 
I like that clerk! LOL
Would there have been a reaction in SF if you were wearing a Phillies t-shirt? I doubt it….
Sent from my iPad Eric Riess Personal/Executive Coach Small Business Consultant http://www.ericriess.com 510-526-8524
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I once walked into a bar on the outskirts of Philly with a friend of mine, looking to buy a six-pack over the counter. While we were waiting for the bartender to sell us our beer, my friend looks up, sees a Phillies game on the T.V., and says, “The Phillies suck.”
We never did get our beer.
Cool post,
Bill